Fast flimsy alibis for Comelec flops

GOTCHA

- JARIUS BONDOC

Comelec never runs out of ruses. Here's its latest — for myriad complainers last Election Day that their voter receipts didn't match the ballots they cast: Submit a notarized affidavit. That will form an election protest, spokesman John Rex Laudiangco advised.

Really? Does he expect voters to take off from work or school, seek legal advice on affidavit writing, spend P200-plus for printing and notarizing, then commute to the Comelec office to file? Forget it, those voters will sigh. Each will think s/he's just one of 68 million voters, so better luck next time.

Besides, Comelec Chairman George Garcia already belittled their rants last Monday: "Sa mga sinasabi na hindi tumutugma 'yong kanilang resibo sa balota, wala kaming proof on that. Napakataas 'yong posibilidad na nakalimutan nila ang binoto nila, o kahit na hindi 'yon ang binoto nila, 'yon ang nailagay nila."

But of course, there's no evidence. Photographing ballots or voter receipts is forbidden. Poll watchers merely shrugged when the cheated voters grumbled.

Garcia further blabbered: "The best evidence is later this evening, kasi makikita natin yong mga ballot pictures ng ballot review. Mabibilang manually 'yong lahat ng balota. In fact, 'pag nakita niyo na 'yong ballot review, nando'n lang 'yong mga pangalan ng mga kandidato na binoto sa bawat position. Hindi niyo na po makikita 'yong mga pangalan ng hindi binoto. Summarized po 'yon."

Phooey! Assuming that the cheated voter stayed on till nightfall, how would s/he have known which of the 600 to 800 ballots was his/hers? Marking a ballot is prohibited. Besides, it's the voter receipt that's at question.